tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184756922018-02-14T14:57:29.349-08:00Fast waters run shallowMichahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.comBlogger345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-37985600026328700522015-10-20T00:05:00.000-07:002015-10-20T00:05:04.214-07:00Rediscovering myselfIncredibly I actually went for a swim yesterday!&nbsp; My first swim in over 8 years.&nbsp; I was so proud of myself for doing it.&nbsp; Full details are in my other blog <a href="http://www.ninegabillionzillion.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">Nine Gabillion Zillion</a><br /><br />So today I opted to go for a walk, that wasn't over our farm.&nbsp; I knew Whitecliffs walkway wasn't too far away from where we live, so I hopped in the ute and headed off.&nbsp; It was a bit further away that I thought, but it wasn't as far as it felt, if that makes sense.&nbsp; You know, the drive back was a lot quicker than the drive out felt.<br /><br />So first off I found the start of the walk, kind of.&nbsp; DoC do not have the best signage out, and I couldn't work out where to park.&nbsp; I parked at the boat ramp to try and work it out, but nothing really came to me.&nbsp; I couldn't park at the boat ramp for long, incase someone actually showed up with a boat.&nbsp; So I decided to call it a day, and head on home. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qbe_p1EJeNE/ViXhvazi1MI/AAAAAAAABVg/QWiBizwSOBw/s1600/IMG_2900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qbe_p1EJeNE/ViXhvazi1MI/AAAAAAAABVg/QWiBizwSOBw/s320/IMG_2900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The boat ramp.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was actually a bit nervous getting out of there, as it involved reversing, up a hill, on a fairly narrow section of land, and required backing out onto the road, which fortunately does not have a lot of traffic.&nbsp; I managed it fine, but my heart was pounding a bit.&nbsp; I imagined myself slipping a wheel over the bank and hanging off the edge.&nbsp; I have a very over active imagination!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwigzAAPJoE/ViXhv4LzNII/AAAAAAAABVo/WRZyeJxllU0/s1600/IMG_2901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwigzAAPJoE/ViXhv4LzNII/AAAAAAAABVo/WRZyeJxllU0/s320/IMG_2901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The view from the boat ramp back up the road that I drove in on.&nbsp; Very picturesque, despite the brackish looking water.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once I managed to get back onto the road and headed for home I actually spotted some places that looked like parking spots.&nbsp; I pulled off, hummed and haaaa'd a bit, and thought, well, since I'm here I may as well see if I can find the start of the walk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I did.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was a bit nervous, as I always am first time somewhere new.&nbsp; The start of the walk involved walking up a private road, past a few houses.&nbsp; It felt a bit like trespassing.&nbsp; And I always worry that I've got it wrong and someone is going to come flying out of their house screeching 'PRIVATE&nbsp; PROPERTY'.&nbsp; But no one did.&nbsp; I was on the right 'track' - it wasn't a track, it was a sealed road.&nbsp; Not quite what I was expecting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then you reach the end of the road, and you get to enter onto private farmland, and the seal gives way to gravel.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was a lovely day for a walk, and since it was my first one I just walked 30 minutes in, to be 30 minutes out, so an hour total.&nbsp; My 30 minutes in took me to the top of a fairly large hill, which gave a lovely view out over the sea, to the white cliffs - well to some white cliffs, I'm not sure if they were THE white cliffs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQEFTIPNAZE/ViXhvrGVTFI/AAAAAAAABVk/RNB0OKSdevQ/s1600/IMG_2909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQEFTIPNAZE/ViXhvrGVTFI/AAAAAAAABVk/RNB0OKSdevQ/s320/IMG_2909.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;View from the top (and end) of my walk.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UsP-2DzPC8g/ViXhwhVy_pI/AAAAAAAABVw/CoacWoLTwcE/s1600/IMG_2913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UsP-2DzPC8g/ViXhwhVy_pI/AAAAAAAABVw/CoacWoLTwcE/s320/IMG_2913.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;The gravel road back down from the big hill.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was actually quite surprised as to how easily I managed this hill.&nbsp; I had seen it from a distance and thought to myself, I hope the walk doesn't go up there!&nbsp; But it did, and it actually wasn't too bad!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ydQDqxt-FSI/ViXhw4dLA2I/AAAAAAAABV4/2ZmOyz_CEaQ/s1600/IMG_2922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ydQDqxt-FSI/ViXhw4dLA2I/AAAAAAAABV4/2ZmOyz_CEaQ/s320/IMG_2922.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;There was a corner in the gravel road where these trees roots had been exposed by the constant slipping of the land.&nbsp; There was a sign there that said, no stopping, slips, so it must slip quite a bit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t3kpxBo4v0A/ViXhxASMRgI/AAAAAAAABWA/bVVl97f-rdI/s1600/IMG_2928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t3kpxBo4v0A/ViXhxASMRgI/AAAAAAAABWA/bVVl97f-rdI/s320/IMG_2928.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Noticed this cool fracture of the earth on my way back.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure if a geographic event caused it, or if it is a result of earthworks cutting into the cliff for the road, and the end of the corner has fractured.&nbsp; I guess it will break off eventually.&nbsp; The left section is connecting to an ongoing bank.&nbsp; The right section is only a few metres long, for the road to curve around it.&nbsp; Never the less, it's very cool!&nbsp; If you look back at the picture of the view from the boat ramp to the road back you can see this naked bank in the background by the road.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I absolutely loved the walk.&nbsp; I just felt like the old me, which is a fantastic feeling.&nbsp; I am hoping to get out and do this walk a bit further along, and other walks every other week.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, it felt so good to get out there!&nbsp; Boy it felt good!</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-89793308282765327142015-10-17T17:44:00.001-07:002015-10-17T17:44:20.145-07:00Where did I go?Just wasted some time reading my blog posts from 2005!&nbsp;<br /><br />When I ran, and tramped, and swam, and mountain biked!<br /><br />Where the heck did that girl go?!&nbsp; She sounds adventurous and cool, not lame ass and lazy like me. <br /><br />It's time that that girl came back!<br /><br />Yes it is.&nbsp; YES&nbsp; IT&nbsp; IS!<br /><br />So the best motivator for me, is an earlier version of me.&nbsp; Who knew?!Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-1022870172361610622015-10-16T18:03:00.002-07:002015-10-16T18:03:39.968-07:00Tossing and biffing and chuckingI'm trying to rid the clutter of our house a little at a time.&nbsp; Note that 99.9% of the 'junk' is my junk, but I'm frequently hassling TJL about his 0.1% - poor guy!<br /><br />So I'm tossing out stuff as I come across it, kinda.&nbsp; Like today, vitamins and health supplements that just sit in the pantry, taking up space and not been taken - out they went!&nbsp; Even the non-expired ones!&nbsp; We don't take them, and if we change our minds at some later point where we want to take them ... we'll just buy some more.<br /><br />And I threw out the soap rack in the bathroom.&nbsp; It sat, by the sink, with the soap on it, slowly rusting away.&nbsp; The sink has built in soap holders, in which the rusting soap holder sat.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; WHY?&nbsp; In fact I'm not even sure why I have a soap at the bathroom sink as we have a liquid soap in there, and most hand washing is done in the laundry tub.&nbsp; So yes, out went the soap rack.&nbsp; And an empty deodorant can of TJL's.&nbsp; And a full deodorant can of TJL's that had lost its sprayer thingee, that has sat in the drawer for years waiting, for what?&nbsp; Waiting for what?&nbsp; It's in the bin now anyway.<br /><br />And I finally sorted out my magazine pile.&nbsp; A huge pile to pass on to my mother, a small pile that went into the recycling bin, and the smallest pile left for me to finish reading.<br /><br />Baby steps, baby steps.Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-23702808162448111082015-10-14T17:36:00.000-07:002015-10-16T17:49:05.464-07:00Stuck on the same weight for far too long&nbsp;When I met TJL I was super fit, and looking mighty fine.&nbsp; Cue 8+ years later and I am a dumpy frumpy dingleberry.<br /><br />I've tried to lose weight for 7 years, pretty pathetic attempts to be sure, but you know, it's always going around in my head - you need to lose weight, you need to lose weight, you need to lose weight.<br /><br />And then I tell myself life is too short, I love food, I may as well enjoy myself.<br /><br />But I don't enjoy myself.&nbsp; I'm not sad, or unhappy, or depressed, but I could be so much happier if I lost the weight.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; Because I would have so much more self confidence, and energy, and so much less guilt!<br /><br />Oh the guilt!&nbsp; Am I really enjoying my food when I feel so guilty eating it?<br /><br />AM&nbsp; I&nbsp; REALLY&nbsp; ENJOYING&nbsp; MY&nbsp; FOOD&nbsp; WHEN&nbsp; I&nbsp; FEEL&nbsp; SO&nbsp; GUILTY&nbsp; EATING&nbsp; IT?<br /><br />I also feel guilty about how, when I was skinny, I used to judge overweight people.&nbsp; Ugh.&nbsp; Talk about karma!<br /><br />So weight loss attempt 9 gabillionzillion here I come.Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-40087478816544186872015-10-10T21:23:00.000-07:002015-10-10T21:23:33.296-07:00Been a long time between postingsSo yeah, not sure if I will get back into it, or not.&nbsp; I keep a handwritten journal, so a lot of my junky thinking gets written down there, but I've been feeling keen to reconnect with the big wide world, so who knows.<br /><br />It's just a matter of finding blogs I like to follow, and see if they inspire me, or not.<br /><br />I also have to sort my head out.&nbsp; I was surfing the web for 'no kids' blogs.&nbsp; Then I was checking out home decorating blogs, but I'd scan through first, and if they had kids I'd leave.&nbsp; Which is stupid.&nbsp; Just because people have kids doesn't mean that's all there is to them, just like not having kids is not all there is to me.&nbsp; Judging much?!&nbsp; Hahaha.<br /><br />And as I no longer do 'social media' - no Twitter, no Facebook, still Instagram, I need to get some connection somewhere. <br /><br />So yes.&nbsp; Time to explore.&nbsp; Time to grow.&nbsp; Time to find myself.&nbsp; Again.Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-78472857683360486132014-11-22T23:30:00.001-08:002014-11-22T23:30:04.742-08:00The decision to signify the end<div style="text-align: center;">So we had pretty much decided that yep, we are done trying for kids anymore, we are definitely happy to progress as a couple. The end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The final, final decision is to have our remaining embryo destroyed. &nbsp;I have the paperwork, it's all signed, and yet I still hesitate. &nbsp;Crazy! &nbsp;I'm 43. &nbsp;I don't want a baby! &nbsp;I like our freedom! &nbsp;Yet there is still a small part of me that thinks, what if ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had asked about donating the embryo, assuming there would be a waiting list of people want one. &nbsp;But no. &nbsp;We'd have to do TWO psych evaluations, plus then the couple have to choose us, we have to choose them, such a huge rigmarole, so I said, nup, destroy it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I can understand needing our info regarding health etc, and I'd be happy for my email address to be provided should the embryo become a child and they wanted to know about me (I've had the same email addy for 20 years so unlikely to ever change), but I'm just not going to spend the time faffing about with having the embryo adopted, which is essentially how they treat it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I do get that it's probably a lot more complicated than I think it should be, but still, I do feel a bit guilty that there is someone somewhere out there that might want it.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-58668904068161166292014-06-28T23:50:00.002-07:002014-06-28T23:50:58.227-07:00Calving. It's only 10 days away ... eeeeek<div style="text-align: center;">Well our season kicks off in about 10 days when we are due to start calving. &nbsp;I am so not looking forward to it. &nbsp;I get stressed out with worry so much, it's just stupid. &nbsp;TJL can't understand why I stress out about it, I have been on farm for 6 years now, this will by my 7th calving, but I really don't enjoy it. &nbsp;I don't like taking calves off of their dams. &nbsp;I don't like sending bobby calves on the trucks at 4 days old. &nbsp;And I don't like worrying that my calves might get sick.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ugh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My happiest day is when calving is finished. &nbsp;So that will be in about 10 or so weeks from now, all things going well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Apparently I over think things. &nbsp;All. &nbsp;The. &nbsp;Time. &nbsp;It is rather tiring, and I end up sitting on my arse avoiding life rather than living it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Avoiding life by watching Pride and Prejudice. &nbsp;Again. &nbsp;And again. &nbsp;I just love Mr Darcy. &nbsp;Poor TJL has me wanting him to dress in tails and lacy cuffs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He won't.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My current obsession with the past has me hand writing in cursive these days. &nbsp;And I've started looking for fountain pens.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really think I a bit on the crackers side of crazy.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-80285490564735971882013-12-17T00:21:00.002-08:002013-12-17T00:21:32.563-08:00Positivity<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've been working on my positivity lately. &nbsp;I signed up to a few websites that email happy, positive emails on a daily basis. &nbsp;And I watch the videos they send.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's been great.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And I've been doing my own Christmas Advent on Facebook, with Christmas songs, which I discovered I failed at today as one of the songs I repeated! &nbsp;C'mon, I only had to do 24 and I managed to stuff it up. &nbsp;Hahaha. &nbsp;Perspective, it's no big deal!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also plan to do a 12 days of Christmas on Facebook involving charities that I like.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've been really into charities lately. &nbsp;I've always given to charities, but now I'm really stepping it up. &nbsp;I think the fact we have been unable to have kids has meant that I am now focus'd on helping some of the worlds poorest. &nbsp;Perhaps with the goal of actually travelling overseas one day, to volunteer with a charity somewhere for a while.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And I've now taken my positivity to the point if I find I'm following someone on Twitter who is just negative, or mean, or think they're funny when they are being rude, I try not to dwell on it, or what I could respond with, I stop following.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The, happy, end :)</span></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-20715046590237717582013-10-12T17:32:00.000-07:002013-10-12T17:32:37.162-07:00A week of learnings<div style="text-align: center;">This week has not been fun. &nbsp;At all. &nbsp;To keep it in perspective, it wasn't a terrible week where someone we know died, or got diagnosed with some terrible illness, or lost a fortune. &nbsp;But it was a week of tough knocks. &nbsp;Compounded by the fact it was my birthday, which still hasn't been celebrated. &nbsp;However, rather than dwell on the negative (which I am inclined to do) I intend to learn things from it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Firstly TJL was drilling, drill broke, cut his wrist, which resulted in a nights stay in hospital. &nbsp;On my birthday. &nbsp;If we weren't dairy farmers, this wouldn't really matter too much. &nbsp;But we are. &nbsp;And if TJL is out of action, it's my turn to step up. &nbsp;I haven't stepped up at all lately, so enter PANIC mode, and lets be honest, tears and fears. &nbsp;I needed to milk Monday night and Tuesday morning, at least, on my own.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cue my in-laws, in-laws. &nbsp;Yes, you read that right, my sister-in-laws parents-in-law stepped up to the plate and helped me milk Monday night (as the cows are currently being mated at night, and I have next to no ability to pick the ones needing to be mated).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What I have learned from this experience is that it is amazing the people who do step up to help (perhaps a bit less surprising are the ones that don't). &nbsp;Obviously my in-laws in-laws will be receiving a big THANK YOU gift from us.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I also learned that I am more than capable of milking, if I need to. &nbsp;And to make it easier on myself in future, it is time I stepped up big time and helped TJL out in the shed a few times a week, so I am confident in what I am doing, and so my arms keep strong. &nbsp;Oh how my arms ached after my second milking. &nbsp;After my forth milking they were beginning to get used to it. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I also learned how hard TJL works. &nbsp;It sounds stupid, but he just gets on and does it. &nbsp;I'm a whiner, not proud of it, but I am. &nbsp;I don't know how he does it. &nbsp;No breaks. &nbsp;Milks morning and night. &nbsp;Everyday. &nbsp;No days off, for MONTHS. &nbsp;I MUST step up and help him. &nbsp;I MUST. &nbsp;I didn't even last a week, and that was with him in the shed helping me every day bar one morning. &nbsp;How he managed to live on his own, and milk without a break an entire season is beyond me. &nbsp;Although I have realised that I do need to step up and help him more on farm, I have, at least, been here to cook his meals, do the dishes, clothes washing, etc. &nbsp;Before me he had to do it all! &nbsp;He is one strong man.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We were also told something during the week which totally knocked our confidence, and made us feel pretty down. &nbsp;I am not too sure what the learnings from this are. &nbsp;It has inspired us to go and check out a few farms for sale during the week. &nbsp;Definitely time to be our own boss, although it all comes down to whether or not we can get enough money together to purchase our own property. &nbsp;It does get a bit depressing when you (well TJL) are working your butts off and it's still not good enough. &nbsp;I also learned that I need to be TJL's biggest cheerleader in life, so slights such as these have a lot less sting. &nbsp;The comment did unite us and made us stronger together.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today is hopefully the last day of 'awww c'mon' as the pump in the cowshed played up twice this morning. &nbsp;Then we discovered one of our calves in the neighbours property, and it was awfully difficult to get her back as there are no gates in the boundary fence.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In other news, I have been trying to find my passion in life. &nbsp;And watching too much TV does not count! &nbsp;Hopefully, if I work hard at it, I will discover what it is soon.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-79974018259722829092013-09-09T00:43:00.001-07:002013-09-09T00:43:13.108-07:00Ground hog day<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It has been feeling like 'Ground Hog Day' around here lately. &nbsp;Ah, the joys of dairy farming.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alarm goes off at 6am, I snooze it twice and get up at 6.20am. &nbsp;Wash the previous nights dishes (just don't feel like doing it at night, I'm a bit more of a morning person), go out, feed calves, pick up calves, have breakfast, fill in time until 2.30pm when it's time to go out and feed calves again, walk dogs, cook dinner, go to bed, alarm goes off ... &nbsp;This happens ev.ery.day rain or shine or hail or wind or weekend or weekday. E.V.E.R.Y &nbsp;D.A.Y</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">TJL has it worse. He gets up at 5am to milk, then works his arse off all day until 3.30pm when he milks again, and doesn't get in until 6.30-7.00pm. &nbsp;He's a trooper, a work-a-holic, an energizer bunny. &nbsp;He makes me tired. &nbsp;And makes me feel guilty.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, light is appearing at the end of the tunnel. &nbsp;32 cows left to calve (out of 220) and I have been gaining back some energy to actually get housework, other than dishes and clothes washing, done. &nbsp;Today, for example, I wiped down all the window sills, talk about fly graveyards! &nbsp;Yuck! &nbsp;I am also doing my best to get said housework done during ad breaks, it's actually amazing what you can do during an ad break, especially in NZ as the ads seem to go on forever!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I am finally getting onto scanning all of my old photos. &nbsp;Doing about 1 hour a day (ok so that was just over the last two days) so at that rate it's going to take a few years. Then there's all the negatives to start scanning. Plus grandparents old albums. &nbsp;She's a big job!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And since I have scanned them to our desktop computer, not my laptop, I can't share here tonight. &nbsp;But here are a few shots from the last couple of days.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_FGE0CKuenY/Ui17v3Pyh-I/AAAAAAAABTA/vCw12PTglR8/s1600/IMG_4342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_FGE0CKuenY/Ui17v3Pyh-I/AAAAAAAABTA/vCw12PTglR8/s400/IMG_4342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxOVp2W0iTs/Ui172B29t5I/AAAAAAAABTI/1uPUut_5_uQ/s1600/IMG_4351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxOVp2W0iTs/Ui172B29t5I/AAAAAAAABTI/1uPUut_5_uQ/s400/IMG_4351.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f9eRMrgFsek/Ui172Q_c4YI/AAAAAAAABTM/UMHIWBzJTWc/s1600/IMG_4361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f9eRMrgFsek/Ui172Q_c4YI/AAAAAAAABTM/UMHIWBzJTWc/s400/IMG_4361.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-89805908464014391382013-05-18T23:31:00.000-07:002013-05-18T23:31:49.324-07:00French knitting<div style="text-align: center;">I had been thinking recently, like just before our nieces visited, that how great would it be if I could find some wooden cotton reels and teach them how to do some good ol' French knitting.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not long after the girls went home we had lunch at TJL's Mums home, for his fathers birthday, and she had wooden cotton reels, and they were all French knitting at the table.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">She gave me two reels.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love her!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MNRKLZTJDg/UZhvHA_pjEI/AAAAAAAABQg/rWrbL6u_sXw/s1600/IMG_3837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MNRKLZTJDg/UZhvHA_pjEI/AAAAAAAABQg/rWrbL6u_sXw/s320/IMG_3837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is actually my second go as one of TJL's nieces took the one I was doing during lunch. &nbsp;I'm not sure what I am going to be doing with it, just using up woolen scraps at the moment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then I went onto TradeMe and bought 5 more reels. &nbsp;Obsessed, I become, very quickly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With the weather being awful today, I also got around to finishing knitting this hat. &nbsp;It's actually a lot more purple than pink in real life. &nbsp;And it's rather tiny, so I think I will be dropping it (and an identical bluer one) off to the SPCA shop. &nbsp;I am sure there are small local babies/children that could benefit from them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf1dnxUHNts/UZhvJQvF9tI/AAAAAAAABQo/_TwxDasBbtQ/s1600/IMG_3834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nf1dnxUHNts/UZhvJQvF9tI/AAAAAAAABQo/_TwxDasBbtQ/s320/IMG_3834.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I now need to find a knitting project that I can make use of. &nbsp;I was thinking a blanket, but that might be a bit ambitious for my beginner skills.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-30160336528884669982013-05-09T22:28:00.001-07:002013-05-09T22:28:20.368-07:00NAIT Tagging<div style="text-align: center;">We had a big job yesterday, NAIT tagging the vast majority of our herd. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.nait.co.nz/">NAIT</a>&nbsp;is all about having traceability for our animals - paddock to plate. &nbsp;Because we are shifting to a new farm on June 1st, we had to make sure all of our cows were tagged, otherwise the trucks wont transport them. &nbsp;Out of our herd of 170ish cows we ended up tagging 108.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ok, so when I say 'we' I mean TJL does the physical stuff and I did all of the recording of NAIT numbers to cow numbers, which then meant I had the fun job of entering onto the computer today. &nbsp;The actually tagging was a bit stressful. &nbsp;While the cows are totally used to being handled in their udder region, having TJL handling their ears was a whole other ball game, and the farm we are currently on does not have the best yard set up. &nbsp;Fortunately there were only a few mishaps, and TJL didn't get hurt (which was my biggest fear). &nbsp;I am definitely glad that this is one job over and done with. &nbsp;As from two years ago, with the introduction of NAIT tagging, we have tagged them at the calf stage, which is a heck of a lot easier and relatively stress free.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I certainly didn't have time to get any photos of the job, but rest assured, there was a LOT of cow poo to clean up at the finish. &nbsp;Not to mention the super loud mooing and bellowing as they wanted to be out of the yard and eating some lovely fresh grass. &nbsp;The pet cows were by far the worst, as they have exactly ZERO respect for us, and if they don't want to go somewhere, they'll just push past, so we had a wee bit of trouble with a couple of them - Georgia in particular, she was being super naughty, but she was super annoyed at not being fed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And now it's back to packing boxes, and trying to get the blasted oven clean - TMI but it's just nasty!</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-89322305186867143432013-05-08T01:11:00.002-07:002013-05-08T01:11:37.918-07:00Knocked around<div style="text-align: center;">Man have I been knocked around the last few weeks. &nbsp;Turns out that my 'man cold' was a virus that really lay me low. &nbsp;The first week I just lay around on the couch, with little energy to do anything. &nbsp;I just felt really awful, developed a cough, and had a ton stuff to cough up. &nbsp;The second week we had 3 of our nieces to stay for the holidays. &nbsp;I continually thought that I would get better 'tomorrow', so I went over to HB and picked them all up, and drove back home. &nbsp;The next tomorrow I was worse. &nbsp;I couldn't get an appointment to see my doctor for 3 days, as the clinic were short a doctor, so I took a punt and went to the emergency room. &nbsp;Unbelievably my wait in the emergency room was an hour tops! &nbsp;I had thought I would be lucky if I was seen within 3 hours, so I was super stoked. &nbsp;Dr told me I had a 2 week virus, so should be better in 4 days time. &nbsp;I felt relief as my mother had put it into my head that I had a chest infection and might get pleurisy. &nbsp;Dr gave me a prescription for antibiotics, even though they wouldn't 'cure' the virus, he said I could take them if I wanted to. &nbsp;I wasn't going to but then my ear blocked, so I figured why not. &nbsp;I can't remember the last time I had an antibiotic, aside from one I had to take prior to our last IVF. &nbsp;My ear stayed blocked for the week. &nbsp;Oh joy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, for week two I struggled along with the girls. &nbsp;I feel really bad, as usually I do arts and crafts with them, etc, and for the week I just didn't. &nbsp;It also meant that they got away with staying up a bit late, and with being totally messy kids, as I just didn't have the energy to get after them to make them behave. &nbsp;They weren't too bad, but the mess, ay ay ayyyyy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So week two looked like this:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Monday - travel from HB to Taranaki with three talkative girls</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tuesday - emergency room visit, took girls to pools</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wednesday - girls painted mugs, took girls for a riding lesson</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thursday - took girls to The Croods 3D, which was fantastic. &nbsp;Loved it!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Friday - took girls to the pools, let them build a fort in the lounge, which they slept in</div><div style="text-align: center;">Saturday - took girls to speedway at PN to watch TJL race, and stayed late for fireworks, then drove them home to HB - arrived at midnight</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunday - returned home to a very messy house</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Current status, slept a lot Monday and Tuesday, feel better today (Wednesday), but unfortunately have pulled a chest muscle due to so much coughing so every time I now need to cough I am in intense pain. &nbsp;Suck!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQpUuaMwg20/UYoF965xrEI/AAAAAAAABPk/RDfoS7JALbU/s1600/IMG_3796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQpUuaMwg20/UYoF965xrEI/AAAAAAAABPk/RDfoS7JALbU/s320/IMG_3796.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Girls playing on stage at Wanganui, Monday</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMYidntO6kQ/UYoF91e5FFI/AAAAAAAABPg/9oPt2e71WR0/s1600/IMG_3805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMYidntO6kQ/UYoF91e5FFI/AAAAAAAABPg/9oPt2e71WR0/s320/IMG_3805.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Girls running down hill by stage at Wanganui, Monday</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMGyxCy1AxQ/UYoF99wk3xI/AAAAAAAABPc/iwihXnCiS_w/s1600/IMG_3815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMGyxCy1AxQ/UYoF99wk3xI/AAAAAAAABPc/iwihXnCiS_w/s320/IMG_3815.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">G riding Toddy, Wednesday</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2STv_h9I77w/UYoF_vt-UbI/AAAAAAAABP4/oMkmcJDALQQ/s1600/IMG_3816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2STv_h9I77w/UYoF_vt-UbI/AAAAAAAABP4/oMkmcJDALQQ/s320/IMG_3816.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">K riding Willie, Wednesday</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkSrQ0f6XDU/UYoF_g7VyJI/AAAAAAAABP0/shZV-a7fw6s/s1600/IMG_3823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkSrQ0f6XDU/UYoF_g7VyJI/AAAAAAAABP0/shZV-a7fw6s/s320/IMG_3823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">T riding Reddy, Wednesday</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-50229826309071364762013-04-22T21:52:00.000-07:002013-04-22T21:52:23.623-07:00Kerre Woodham's Musings from Middle Age<div style="text-align: center;">I just finished reading Musings from Middle Age by Kerre Woodham. &nbsp;And I did enjoy most of it. &nbsp; It actually taught me a lot too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If I wasn't in the headspace I am currently in it might have been a different story - but let me do a quick overview first.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Essentially it is a book for women over 40 (a category which I just fit into), and just how life goes at this stage in your life. &nbsp;How you become 'invisible' to society. &nbsp;Men are hitting on the younger ones kind of theme. &nbsp;Of course this is coming from a 'celebrity' who is blissfully unaware that some of us have spent their entire lives being pretty much invisible, but thats okay with me. &nbsp;Essentially she covers how women age. &nbsp;There is humour mixed in with helpful advice, which I thought made it quite a unique read.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The part where I might have struggled is that she, of course, deals with empty nest syndrome. &nbsp;And it did feel like she referenced to it quite a lot. &nbsp;Of course, she has a daughter, and it's what she knows. &nbsp;So if one was not in the right headspace to deal with such topics it may have been upsetting. &nbsp;However, I am in the right head space, and she certainly intersperses this with tales about her friends that are childless, and/or single etc, so I never felt like I was isolated from the topic. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Her book also highlighted for me that there are older women, who's husbands may have died and all of their children live overseas, have been left isolated as well. &nbsp;It showed me, reminded me, that just because people do have children it is NOT a guarantee of your children being around forever. &nbsp;Really, regardless of whether you have children or not, at some point you will be left alone, either as a couple or single. &nbsp;So in that case we are far better to ensure we develop and maintain adult relationships to see us happily through these times.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It has given me a bit of a kick in the pants to get back out there and get social. &nbsp;I have sat around assuming that I would get pregnant and then, woo hoo, instant fellow mummy friends.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">That ain't happening so now its time to get busy and find a way to make some new friends, and to solidify, cement, renew old ones. &nbsp;Trouble is I am hopeless at friendships. &nbsp;I'm good at making small talk briefly, but forming friends and having them long term, I suck at it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So would I recommend this book. &nbsp;Yes I would, as long as you are happy to handle hearing mum stuff. I honestly laughed out loud numerous times, just one of those snorts, eye watering, hold in laughs, but in hindsight I wish I had just let a loud belly laugh instead.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Both my Mum and sister will be reading this book next.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-51655724532647015892013-04-21T00:46:00.001-07:002013-04-21T00:52:50.952-07:00Why farm dogs are outside dogs.<div style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure if my photos will do my title justice. &nbsp;Lets just say Max-a-million was FILTHY this morning, after having chased some birds into the sh*i ponds.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ0nciErTuU/UXOMxTtRjLI/AAAAAAAABN8/WVT8VXmIItg/s1600/IMG_5965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ0nciErTuU/UXOMxTtRjLI/AAAAAAAABN8/WVT8VXmIItg/s400/IMG_5965.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;It's a bit hard to tell, but he is wet, wet, wet, and he's wet with diluted cow poo. &nbsp;I had thought it was just mud splash from the paddock, but TJL came home and told me off for not hosing Max off as he'd been in the sh*t ponds. &nbsp;Ooooops! &nbsp;TJL hosed him off, such a great guy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gl8ZcnSmtuk/UXOMqeQCBOI/AAAAAAAABNs/yGfGlXRI-Ac/s1600/IMG_5970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gl8ZcnSmtuk/UXOMqeQCBOI/AAAAAAAABNs/yGfGlXRI-Ac/s320/IMG_5970.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esXBAxOMcwM/UXOMxDYnGyI/AAAAAAAABOA/rrVEQHXoJ7Y/s1600/IMG_5967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esXBAxOMcwM/UXOMxDYnGyI/AAAAAAAABOA/rrVEQHXoJ7Y/s320/IMG_5967.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It was hard trying to get a photo as he just thought that he should have pats. &nbsp;Yeah right Max! &nbsp;Filthy, stinky dog! And that is why they are outside dogs. &nbsp;YUCK!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On a good note we (the dogs and I) managed our afternoon walk without the use of a lead for Max! &nbsp;I still took one just in case, but it went really, really well. &nbsp;Of course there are no rabbits around at the moment (knocks on head, touches wood) for him to bolt after, and the birds he chases just fly up. &nbsp;Todays walk was so, so, so much better than any other walks we've had. &nbsp;Of course it is a combination of time spent walking him on lead, ie a couple of months!, and me learning to chill out a bit, and not panic when he gets 'to far away' from me. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have to say I was just totally ignorant of the fact that being an older dog meant that he needed time to learn to trust me. &nbsp;I don't know if ignorant is the right word as logically I know this, but at the time, I dunno, it just didn't cross my mind THAT much. &nbsp;I was just so focused on everything he was doing wrong, and that was making my life with him miserable. &nbsp;So, so, so stupid. &nbsp;And at the start I did lose my cool a wee bit, and when I did you could see him just totally switch off, no eye contact, just a real cold shoulder. &nbsp;I am so thrilled at how far we have now come. &nbsp;Part of my losing my cool was me panicking about the trouble he was causing, and part of it was my totally ridiculous attitude that 'I've rescued you from the SPCA, you ungrateful mutt'. &nbsp;A couple of times I did threaten him with being put to sleep, as I didn't think he would be any good (sometimes they just aren't), but I was also aware that at the early stages it was totally my fault, as I wasn't training him right. &nbsp;Turns out I just needed PATIENCE and to remember that it was going to take TIME. &nbsp;And by time I'm talking MONTHS not weeks (or hours). &nbsp;Unfortunately I do like instant results, I just need to be reminded that animals don't give you that.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Life is a learning curve.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I took a couple of photos of the small spare room today. &nbsp;It's pretty sparse, since we are moving and I have packed up most stuff, but you get a general idea. &nbsp;We did not do the 'decorating'. &nbsp;It's not our house to decorate.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFVYQ4AzXPI/UXOMw71TX-I/AAAAAAAABN0/YdQOGVgiHCI/s1600/IMG_5973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFVYQ4AzXPI/UXOMw71TX-I/AAAAAAAABN0/YdQOGVgiHCI/s320/IMG_5973.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can see in this first photo how small the room is. &nbsp;It is as wide as the bed is long, and where the heater is you can see where the door stop for the wardrobe is, and I'm standing in the door. &nbsp;Where you see the light on the wall is NOT where I plan to have the head, as I don't like heads by windows, incase you get a wee bit of a draft etc. Originally the bed went along that wall by the window. &nbsp;I think only one niece has ever slept in it, and that was for one night.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX9QBI8K6Qo/UXOM1Eiee4I/AAAAAAAABOM/Q7mAyFuBEP4/s1600/IMG_5974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX9QBI8K6Qo/UXOM1Eiee4I/AAAAAAAABOM/Q7mAyFuBEP4/s320/IMG_5974.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken from standing in the wardrobe door. &nbsp;The pillows are new, hence they are SUPER DOOPER high. &nbsp;And they don't have their proper pillowcases on, as they haven't arrived in the post yet. &nbsp;Hopefully tomorrow.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_0Z2DBM4fQ/UXOM11eQQII/AAAAAAAABOU/jUkZwnndmNY/s1600/IMG_5976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_0Z2DBM4fQ/UXOM11eQQII/AAAAAAAABOU/jUkZwnndmNY/s320/IMG_5976.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>So this room is super tiny. &nbsp;Probably more of an office size. &nbsp;Once we move I hope to maybe paint the bedside table, to give furniture renovation a go. &nbsp;I plan to start super small and then, if all goes ok, move onto bigger things. &nbsp;The lamp I bought looks so TINY. &nbsp;But it will do, for now. &nbsp;And you can see the window up above the bed head. That window leads to the hallway. &nbsp;Oh yes, yes it does. &nbsp;And that is so when you turn the lightswitch on in the hallway, the light in the bedroom comes on and shines into the hallway. &nbsp;Yep. &nbsp;That's how it works. &nbsp;There isn't an actual light in the hallway, it's in the bedroom. &nbsp;Fortunately, this being such a tiny house, and we don't actually use the hallway unless we have guests, and we're moving, so it doesn't really matter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, if you haven't noticed, I am slightly pre-occupied with our upcoming shift. &nbsp;Today I packed away plastic containers, and recipe books. &nbsp;Tomorrow, I need to get more boxes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So excited! &nbsp;(I actually am).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-56037244248539179662013-04-19T23:58:00.000-07:002013-04-19T23:58:15.902-07:00Sick again??!! Wot whaaaat?<div style="text-align: center;">Was feeling crappy again today. &nbsp;Twas only about a week ago that I had my man-flu. &nbsp;Today I just had kind of a niggley throat, and was rather tired, so spent the majority of it on the couch dozing and watching television.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Feeling a lot better now, it was just exhaustingly weird.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I did manage to achieve two things.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One, shopping again. &nbsp;Via infomercials - no, no, no, no MJ, but alas yes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Turbo Fire has sucked me in. &nbsp;90 day risk free, money back guarantee, sucked in. &nbsp;This happens to me everyone once in a while, like once every 5 years or so. &nbsp;But TJL thought it looked pretty good, and heck, that's all the permission my spendy spendy pea brain needs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So it should be here in a week. &nbsp;11 work out DVDs with 13 workouts, exercise bandy thing, tips and a guide. &nbsp;Of course I went for the delux offer that has 4 more DVD's, weighted gloves, a jump mat and a journal.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">AND, YES, THERES MORE ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;... a free 11 piece knife set. &nbsp;I KID YOU NOT. &nbsp;I had the option of a knife set or Thin Lizzy, fortunately I do know myself somewhat and know that the knife set will get far more use.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It does look really good, in that the music seems totally pumped up and the sweat seems to pour off the participants. &nbsp;I also like the fact that it has a programme for the 90 days, ie what DVD to do on what day, which is what I need as when spoiled for choice I tend to sit around wasting time just trying to make the choice, and then end up doing nothing because it's just too hard.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We shall see how I go.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The other thing I did was rearrange the small spare room, and get it ready for the girls visit in 8 days time. &nbsp;Stupid thing is that I now have the bed in the position I wanted it all along. &nbsp;I hadn't been sure if it would fit or not. &nbsp;With help from TJL it does. &nbsp;5 years of hating where it was, 6 weeks of having it right. &nbsp;Better late than never, yes?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yes.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-61134973603431573242013-04-18T23:41:00.000-07:002013-04-18T23:41:06.842-07:00ShopPING<div style="text-align: center;">I do love to shop. &nbsp;Unfortunately I really can't afford to, but I'm naughty and shop anyway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oooops!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But I use any excuse, I'm not a total spend-a-holic but I do just love to buy. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">First up I got Mothers Day cards. &nbsp;One for my Mum and one for TJL's.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HhVhz3cdw8Y/UXDgnQTgP2I/AAAAAAAABMo/Ylr0wKFvqdw/s1600/IMG_5952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HhVhz3cdw8Y/UXDgnQTgP2I/AAAAAAAABMo/Ylr0wKFvqdw/s320/IMG_5952.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBe_AGuV90w/UXDgnQ4QAiI/AAAAAAAABMk/9LFbxySSKeg/s1600/IMG_5951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBe_AGuV90w/UXDgnQ4QAiI/AAAAAAAABMk/9LFbxySSKeg/s320/IMG_5951.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the one for TJL's mum. &nbsp;If you can't quite read it, it says Mum, I realise it wasn't easy raising me ... (inside) The best and brightest are always a challenge. &nbsp;It's so very, very TJL, and since he was a premie he definitely wasn't easy at the beginning, and he definitely thinks he's the best. &nbsp;Of course I buy a card for TJL's mum and dad each and every year, whether or not he gets it to them is another story.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dsw1HE_ZQZw/UXDgomIlZtI/AAAAAAAABNE/qiWtlEOXJUM/s1600/IMG_5954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dsw1HE_ZQZw/UXDgomIlZtI/AAAAAAAABNE/qiWtlEOXJUM/s320/IMG_5954.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMRjAdj9QPQ/UXDgnu431lI/AAAAAAAABMw/fJNKcBhxCzE/s1600/IMG_5953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMRjAdj9QPQ/UXDgnu431lI/AAAAAAAABMw/fJNKcBhxCzE/s320/IMG_5953.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;This is for my Mum. &nbsp;I think this one is a little easier to read. &nbsp;And again, it's totally appropriate. &nbsp;Even though I'm 41 I still rely quite heavily on their advice and help. &nbsp;And I was definitely a difficult child, very very headstrong and stroppy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Since I was in a bookshop (Paper Plus - my favourite) I also bought an Oprah magazine. &nbsp;I haven't had one of those for ages. &nbsp;TJL read it while I was in The Warehouse buying ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JzY0aDWVi6k/UXDgpLxP-zI/AAAAAAAABM8/YTUftDhHF3M/s1600/IMG_5958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JzY0aDWVi6k/UXDgpLxP-zI/AAAAAAAABM8/YTUftDhHF3M/s320/IMG_5958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three cute little bowls. &nbsp;I will be using these for M'n'Ms, mini marshmellows, and broken up flake chocolate for the girls to put on their sundaes. &nbsp;After that they will be great for dipping sauces etc, if I ever have anything that needs dipping. &nbsp;Or candle holders. &nbsp;Or just for future sundae making. &nbsp;$3.00 each</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xZHgDineLbw/UXDgpmSmMGI/AAAAAAAABNQ/emUN0NJ6Yk8/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xZHgDineLbw/UXDgpmSmMGI/AAAAAAAABNQ/emUN0NJ6Yk8/s320/IMG_5961.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I needed new socks. &nbsp;I love these socks, super dooper cosy. &nbsp;My gumboots do have a habit of chewing through them rather quickly, but at $10.00 for 3 pairs who's complaining? &nbsp;Actually I am, for some reason I totally bought the wrong size, noticed only after I removed the tag and wrapper. They will fit TJL if they are totally unsuitable for me.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8HE-jpOSxA/UXDgqR74c3I/AAAAAAAABNM/R-Te4lF5VQg/s1600/IMG_5963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e8HE-jpOSxA/UXDgqR74c3I/AAAAAAAABNM/R-Te4lF5VQg/s320/IMG_5963.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cutsie little column heater. &nbsp;It's not very big but should be ok for the small spare room we have here when the girls visit. &nbsp;And I think our 'new' house has 3 bedrooms and an office. &nbsp;I am assuming that the office is quite small, so new heater should fit perfectly in there. &nbsp;$40.00, sweet!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQXtQx4-8yg/UXDgrEtX8JI/AAAAAAAABNc/Odse_tZ98mM/s1600/IMG_5964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQXtQx4-8yg/UXDgrEtX8JI/AAAAAAAABNc/Odse_tZ98mM/s320/IMG_5964.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally I bought a small desk lamp for the small spare room for when the girls visit. &nbsp;Noticing a theme anyone. &nbsp;The small room's light switch is in the hallway, as I think the hallway was formed out of the small room to go down to the added on bedroom (hence why the small room is actually TINY). &nbsp;The wall is topped by glass allowing the light from the small room to also go through the hallway. &nbsp;Does that all make sense? &nbsp;Anyway, a lamp was needed so whomever is in that room can actually turn a light on and off from in there, rather than stumbling into the hallway. &nbsp;$10.00</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also got some teaspoons. &nbsp;I was looking for little ladle-like spoons but couldn't find any, and since I was in the spoon section I just HAD to buy something.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also got David Bowies latest CD, which I have left in TJL's ute. &nbsp;I do like me a bit of Bowie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After I shopped myself, not out but sufficiently satiated, we headed to Shakee Pear for some lunch. &nbsp;I had potato and bacon rosti's, served with what I think was a rhubarb chutney and sour cream. &nbsp;Was scrummy. &nbsp;Crazy thing was I had thought about ordering a side of fries, but SO glad that I didn't. &nbsp;Yeah, that would be me. &nbsp;Have a potato main served with a side of ... potato. &nbsp;Dork much??!! &nbsp;Why yes, yes I am.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-91914616017829743392013-04-17T21:29:00.001-07:002013-04-17T21:29:46.234-07:00Hurrah for a practice run<div style="text-align: center;">I saw a great idea for the girls to make when they are here, aquariums with blue jelly, and other stuff. &nbsp;Of course the recipe I saw had fruit as the other stuff, and I went for lollies.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am so, so, SO glad that I did a trial run through first as EPIC FAIL. &nbsp;Seriously.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cE3x0yOCl_k/UW9x-Cu07RI/AAAAAAAABL0/rRLhYaLSf1A/s1600/IMG_5940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cE3x0yOCl_k/UW9x-Cu07RI/AAAAAAAABL0/rRLhYaLSf1A/s320/IMG_5940.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Side view</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So from looking at it, it didn't turn out too bad. &nbsp;The MnM's (gravel) lost their colour, and the mushroom lollies (plants) lost a bit of their coconut, but the chocolate fish handled it all ok. &nbsp;The jelly was a bit dark, and my container may have been a bit smallish, but the look wasn't the fail.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wCqIt8y_o6A/UW9x9injsLI/AAAAAAAABLs/H-pkg_7o15w/s1600/IMG_5941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wCqIt8y_o6A/UW9x9injsLI/AAAAAAAABLs/H-pkg_7o15w/s320/IMG_5941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Top view</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Where the MnM's lost their colour I had a grey watery liquid, which was a partial fail. &nbsp;The big fail was the taste. &nbsp;Seriously, I figured regardless of what it might look like, the taste would be fabulous. &nbsp;But no. &nbsp;Super sweet, and I can do sweet, but this was just off the scale awful sweet. &nbsp;I don't think that the coconut helped. &nbsp; Of course TJL and I managed to choke the stuff down. &nbsp;I should have thrown it out but I hate waste. &nbsp;And now I know why the original recipe had fruit and a small amount of chocolate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You live and learn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So we won't be making blue jelly aquariums with the girls. &nbsp;We will make jelly, and have lots of other stuff, and they can make themselves ice-cream sundaes instead. &nbsp;I LOVE ice-cream sundaes. &nbsp;(If you haven't worked it out already when I say that we will be doing this kind of stuff 'for' the girls, it's really all for me!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On a happier note, some little cross-stitches arrived in the post today. &nbsp;It was such a surprise as I ordered them from the USA and wasn't even sure that they would arrive before the girls went home, so super stoked that they arrived a week after I ordered them. &nbsp;Big ups to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.juliesxstitch.com/">JuliesXstitch.com</a>, very impressive service (and yes I have emailed her to thank her).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-30q6ATvKtac/UW9x-MUZn-I/AAAAAAAABL4/mx3xTuTzWRU/s1600/IMG_5947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-30q6ATvKtac/UW9x-MUZn-I/AAAAAAAABL4/mx3xTuTzWRU/s320/IMG_5947.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">... Puppy ...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Haiv1yQJhro/UW9x_zrimhI/AAAAAAAABMI/jrfZMzowwnA/s1600/IMG_5948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Haiv1yQJhro/UW9x_zrimhI/AAAAAAAABMI/jrfZMzowwnA/s320/IMG_5948.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">... Butterfly ...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEONKdWdfV4/UW9yAL93fsI/AAAAAAAABMM/8OgJP_6ZG80/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEONKdWdfV4/UW9yAL93fsI/AAAAAAAABMM/8OgJP_6ZG80/s320/IMG_5949.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">... Fish...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have wrapped them up in mermaid paper and numbered them (I have no idea what number corresponds to which set) and when the girls get here I am going to have them draw numbers out of a hat (maybe 1-15), and they keep going until they get a 1, 2 or 3, and what ever number they get, they get that package. &nbsp;I'm hoping it will save arguments over which one they want.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sjzW2bHmUsY/UW9x_5EgsaI/AAAAAAAABME/ChqoLiQjLwA/s1600/IMG_5950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sjzW2bHmUsY/UW9x_5EgsaI/AAAAAAAABME/ChqoLiQjLwA/s320/IMG_5950.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So kicking myself for not ordering myself a set. &nbsp;Might get around to doing that soon, or may just buy one here in NZ, though choice and cost may limit me!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-35022475589684761192013-04-14T21:24:00.003-07:002013-04-14T21:24:22.787-07:00Guest baskets<div style="text-align: center;">In a couple of weeks we will be having 3 nieces to stay for a few days of the school holidays. &nbsp;Two are my sisters girls, and one is my cousins daughter. &nbsp;Ages 6, 9 and 10.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To make them feel welcome I decided to make them a gift basket each.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So the first step was to locate said gift basket. &nbsp;I had a wee bit of a search around and discovered these brightly coloured, and what I consider a wee bit funky, rubbish bins, which will be a lot more useful long term than an actual basket. &nbsp;Score 1! &nbsp;Oh, and they were $3.00 each, so inexpensive.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-53pim7AsVmU/UWt6kgyRpKI/AAAAAAAABLM/OgEL0pbV6WI/s1600/IMG_5935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-53pim7AsVmU/UWt6kgyRpKI/AAAAAAAABLM/OgEL0pbV6WI/s320/IMG_5935.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Funky monkey rubbish bin.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then it was a matter of finding loot to go into the gift bins. &nbsp;I found out the girls favourite colours from their mothers, to give me a bit of a theme for each girl, and so they wouldn't mix up who's was who's.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had an idea to get them a named facecloth each, from memory they were around $13.00, so a bit expensive, but great quality. &nbsp;To go with the 'bath' theme I also bought them a couple of soaps, and a loofa(?).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1U21nT4sLQ/UWt6iWALMlI/AAAAAAAABKs/Psu2Ii-O2sg/s1600/IMG_5932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1U21nT4sLQ/UWt6iWALMlI/AAAAAAAABKs/Psu2Ii-O2sg/s320/IMG_5932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bath time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aside from liking clean kids, I always like to get a wee bit crafty with them so I got mugs that they can paint, then bake in the oven, they were $12.50 ish each. &nbsp;I also got a bumper activity pad, stickers, plain pads, crayons, and a 6x4 photo frame. &nbsp;I'm hoping to get a nice photo of the three of them, and pop that into their frame so they can remember their visit with us. &nbsp;I have a ton more arts and crafts stuff for them to use, so they are not limited to this small amount.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kjhrWV4AZY/UWt6i25DoAI/AAAAAAAABK4/sLC_dsg_k7k/s1600/IMG_5933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kjhrWV4AZY/UWt6i25DoAI/AAAAAAAABK4/sLC_dsg_k7k/s320/IMG_5933.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Artsy craftsy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And one can't forget to have a few chocolates. &nbsp;I got a few Easter Eggs on sale a couple of days after Easter, so have bagged them up, and added a lollipop on top. &nbsp;We got the lollipops from the local Pizza place a couple of nights ago, which was lovely of them. &nbsp;And to save myself from eating yet more sugar, what better way to get rid of them. &nbsp;I also have them a 'proper' Easter Bunny Easter Egg in the fridge for them, as I haven't seen them since before Easter.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ek8nyrjoiU/UWt6kDNITCI/AAAAAAAABLE/OEQFG4myfbM/s1600/IMG_5934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5ek8nyrjoiU/UWt6kDNITCI/AAAAAAAABLE/OEQFG4myfbM/s320/IMG_5934.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yum, yum, yum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So here it is all displayed out on the table. &nbsp;It has cost me around $150.00 I guess, but since we don't have kids I don't mind. &nbsp;TJL has a bit of a heart attack about it, but I point out that we don't have kids, so in the grand scheme of things, we can afford it;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3mJV8fWXaI/UWt6il__clI/AAAAAAAABKw/QzANmKCsRB0/s1600/IMG_5930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3mJV8fWXaI/UWt6il__clI/AAAAAAAABKw/QzANmKCsRB0/s320/IMG_5930.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Loot, glorious loot.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u5mIkSMwHuA/UWt6labNmKI/AAAAAAAABLc/Zs7qrznsa0w/s1600/IMG_5936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u5mIkSMwHuA/UWt6labNmKI/AAAAAAAABLc/Zs7qrznsa0w/s320/IMG_5936.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Heres the three bins all full to the brim ...</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uehkP9-egcg/UWt6lC10TPI/AAAAAAAABLU/WtZls3qdNFs/s1600/IMG_5937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uehkP9-egcg/UWt6lC10TPI/AAAAAAAABLU/WtZls3qdNFs/s320/IMG_5937.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">... and a close-up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The girls will be here for 3 full days, plus 2 days of travel (3.5 hour journey, extended by bathroom and play breaks). &nbsp;One day we will go to a movie, I'm hoping to go to the Crood's, but we shall see. &nbsp;One day we will go to the pools, as T &amp; G always have a good time there, so no doubt K will too. &nbsp;And I've booked them in for a riding lesson for one of the days. &nbsp;G and K are super excited about the riding lesson, T (the 6 year old) is a little less sure, but I'm sure she will be fine.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The sheets are washed. &nbsp;The duvet covers are washed. &nbsp;It will be all go in 2 weeks time. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-78867855027736934972013-04-13T16:10:00.002-07:002013-04-13T16:10:49.645-07:00Hoarding<div style="text-align: center;">We are moving to a new farm in around 6 weeks time, June 1st. &nbsp;So I've started packing up the house, which I am actually enjoying. &nbsp;So far I have 3 bags of stuff to go to the SPCA shop for them to sell, or use for the animal cages in the case of old sheets etc, plus I have discovered stuff that I couldn't locate when I needed, like an electric blanket for the single bed. &nbsp;Of course I found the two I knew I had somewhere the day after I bought a new one. &nbsp;Oh well ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have also sorted through our multitude of towels. &nbsp;Why I waited until now I'm not too sure, as stuffing, shoving, pushing, and forcing clean washed towels into our overstuffed only cupboard was just stupid. &nbsp;I have now cut the house towels down to around 20, and bagged up all the other old ones to be used as dairy shed towels. &nbsp;Any ripped or torn ones have become mini-sprint towels (dirt track racing = filthy car cleaning). &nbsp;I have room in our towel cupboard. &nbsp;Oh yeah!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The trouble with packing is that now an area of our house now makes it look like I'm a hoarder, and truth be told I am a bit of a hoarder (see towel comment above), just not the 'no space left to walk in the house, old newspapers, animal faeces' hoarder.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEhAzbsppjg/UWngY9W8K8I/AAAAAAAABKc/ID3FCyAv_8U/s1600/IMG_5929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gEhAzbsppjg/UWngY9W8K8I/AAAAAAAABKc/ID3FCyAv_8U/s400/IMG_5929.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taadaa! &nbsp;Messy much??!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I use rubbish bags for sheets, towels, blankets etc. &nbsp;Much easier to 'squash-in' a bag of soft stuff when moving, than extra boxes. &nbsp;This would be my much travelled, many moves opinion. &nbsp;Plus they are awesomely handy when unpacking at the other end, and you need a rubbish bag. &nbsp;See, I know what I'm doing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Aside from the linen cupboard I have also emptied my closet, and the spare room closets (mostly, one still has Christmas decorations in &nbsp;it, just need a huge box to put them all in). &nbsp;TJL's closet is still to go, but I won't start on that one until he has had a wee bit of a holiday, he will need to help or I will throw out something he likes, whether he has worn it in the last five years or not.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately I am having to store all of this packed up stuff in my office area of our secondary lounge, which is a bit of an eyesore should anyone visit. &nbsp;This is because I can't store them in one of the spare bedrooms until the girls (nieces) have been and gone. &nbsp;Once that has happened I will definitely move all this stuff into the large spare room, which will be awesomely handy for moving, ie has doors that leads to the porch, to right onto the driveway. Perfect! &nbsp;Until then, we shall survive with the embarrassing mess.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ugh!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of the great points about shifting is that you do end up going through everything you own. &nbsp;This means you can make note of what you do need to replace, and/or get rid of a multitude of junk that you just don't use. &nbsp;It's pretty cathartic. &nbsp;And quite eye opening. &nbsp;I guess if you are a regular spring cleaner you actually do this annually. &nbsp;And while I'm inspired right now to do it annually, truth be told, I probably won't.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-80529889876369909182013-04-10T01:25:00.002-07:002013-04-10T01:26:57.431-07:00Greasy<div style="text-align: center;">I have had man flu for the last 24 hours. &nbsp;Yes, that's right, man flu.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hate, hate, hate feeling anything other than fine and dandy, so I get all very woe is me, it's all about me, feel sorry for me, feed me, bring me water, I need a blanket.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yep, I'm pathetic. &nbsp;I get man flu.<br /><br />And the worst thing is how you end up feeling so greasy! &nbsp;Or is that just me? &nbsp;I have had a shower today, which made me feel better, but I'm back to feeling greasy again already. &nbsp;Might just be the lip balm ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But, as I said, luckily I only get it for 24 hours, so it's going.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I wasn't totally useless today. &nbsp;I did drive the tractor while TJL sprayed the drains. &nbsp;I did it, but I wasn't happy as I was FREEZING (there was a very cold wind), and my nose kept running.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bah.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had planned to walk the dogs down the back only. &nbsp;It's flat, but it meant that Max wouldn't get off leash. &nbsp;I got a wee way down and remembered TJL had sprayed the cutting, so up the hill we went instead. &nbsp;So Max got some off lead time, and he was so good! &nbsp;I was so impressed! &nbsp;But I'm not getting carried away, there were no rabbits to chase once again, so *phew* yet again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Got a call from the adoption/foster lady today. &nbsp;Something I had totally forgotten we had done, it feels like it was so long ago. &nbsp;It did get me thinking about fostering again. &nbsp;But I just don't know. &nbsp;Something I was so sure about doing, I am no longer really thinking about. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Will take some time after our shift to work things out, but at the moment I'm kind of obsessed with our move. &nbsp;5 years and an entire farm to pack up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eeeeeeeek.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-28811559029955034802013-04-08T23:43:00.002-07:002013-04-08T23:43:51.079-07:00Getting braver<div style="text-align: center;">Our new dog, Max-a-million is an absolute handful. &nbsp;We have only had him for 3 months so I really shouldn't expect miracles, but man, he is HARD work.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course, having had a bit of trouble with him, I haven't exactly been brave, so a lot of it is my fault. &nbsp;And I don't spend THAT much time training him, but still ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He's not dangerous, in case that is what you were thinking, but he is FAST and if he gets onto a scent, his ears switch off. &nbsp;And then if he actually see's the cause of the scent, he's off and he's not coming back. &nbsp;Definitely no ears in this case.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He's not so bad with the birds, they just fly away and he watches, and gives up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rabbits are another story, &nbsp;Maxi is just gone, gone, gone. &nbsp;Fast. &nbsp;And I mean SUPER FAST. &nbsp;He outruns the quad bike when TJL is driving it. &nbsp;He's fast!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And so most of his walks are spent on a 15M rope, which is a shame when we live on a farm and he could be having a lot more exercise. &nbsp;But we have pregnant cows, and 6 month old calves, and dairy farm fencing, which means access to neighbours pregnant cows is super easy. &nbsp;And so he spends his walks on a lead so we don't have any chaos.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">He does have free rein around the house of course, which is better now I have blocked his latest escape route. &nbsp;Fortunately when he does escape, it's just to go down to the milking shed to scavenge any old milk he can find, which is NOTHING since we have now dried off.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">However, the last three days I have let him off lead for walks in a few of the Western paddocks, once I have checked that the neighbours haven't got stock in neighbouring paddocks. &nbsp;I'm so, so brave, and so far, so good. &nbsp;We haven't encountered a rabbit yet, which will make me panic. &nbsp;But I'm happy he has had a bit more of a chance to have a run and a good ol' sniff around.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Part of training is getting him to come to my whistle, at which point he gets a liver treat. &nbsp;He loves his liver treat (ol' fatty dog Stella loves them more and just sits at my side waiting for me to blow the whistle so she gets one). &nbsp;He does ignore the whistle when on a scent though, so we still have a lot of work to do. &nbsp;Biggest trouble is that I can't always get a sound out of my whistle, and I really don't have anywhere to practice, as I expect him to come every time he hears it, and he's to get a treat every time he comes when he hears it, so I can't practice blowing it when he's within earshot, which is all the time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Why oh why do I get myself into these situations!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">I should stick to puppies and kittens. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, and the chickens have been 'attacking' me at meal times too.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">*sigh*</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-17750691438082888402013-04-05T18:49:00.000-07:002013-04-05T18:49:14.535-07:00Somewhere in-between<div style="text-align: center;">Living in limbo is just plain boring.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mentally I have fully adjusted to living sans child. &nbsp;Yep, I'm going for sans child as my status, my label, my grouping. &nbsp;Childless sounds depressing, child free sounds by choice, and I am neither, I am sans child. &nbsp;Happy with my life, even though it wasn't my choice, my dream, my plan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">However we still have one embryo to go. &nbsp;I really can't be bothered 'using it'. &nbsp;I'm 41. &nbsp;Life is a bit busy at the moment so by the time we do get around to 'using it' I'm probably going to be 42. &nbsp;And based on my track record, it won't stick and we will have 'wasted' another couple of thousand (give or take a few hundy). &nbsp;I could buy myself a horse with that $2k! &nbsp;Or a new wardrobe. &nbsp;Or a dining table.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Using it' in reference to the embryo seems to be the totally wrong terminology, like I actually don't give a damn, but to be perfectly honest I actually don't. &nbsp;I do apologise if this does offend anyone out there that stumbles upon this, but I'm just so over the whole thing, and am happily moving on with my life sans child. &nbsp;I have life plans which all involve being sans child. &nbsp;And from what I've been witnessing lately, having no children sure seems so much easier, and freer, and quieter and cheaper!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We will use it, the embryo. &nbsp;And I will roller coaster once more, between hope and reality. &nbsp;And when it fails to work this final time I will be sad. &nbsp;But it will be temporary. &nbsp;I have such a view to my future that a negative result will be a mere bump in the road rather than a huge crevasse, as it has been in the past.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But what it does mean for me, at the present, is that I actually don't fit into any grouping. &nbsp;I read more childless blogs than infertility blogs these days, but until this final embryo is used, this final TTC chapter is written, I'm in limbo, not able to fit completely into any group, so I hang on the sidelines, observing but not contributing.</div>Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-74672250661747882182013-01-23T00:34:00.005-08:002013-01-23T00:34:56.783-08:00Snap Happy<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The best thing about beginning the 365project.org is that I am finally taking photos daily. &nbsp;I had started with just an <a href="http://365project.org/michaj/365/2013-01">everyday snapshot album</a>&nbsp;to basically journal my everyday life.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I then added an <a href="http://365project.org/michaj/inconceivable/2013-01">infertility album</a>&nbsp;because I felt like journaling this part of my life, which will be fixed forever during this year.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then today, after checking out a few other albums, I decided to add an actual <a href="http://365project.org/michaj/tryhard/2013-01">photographic album</a>&nbsp;so I actually concentrate and work on getting a good shot everyday, rather than just documenting my life.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So here five of the 47 shots I took today. &nbsp;Just the ones I liked, kind of random, which is totally me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiQKHDS6a6s/UP-aYXPxwhI/AAAAAAAABJA/CDIl_u7kw0U/s1600/IMG_5634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiQKHDS6a6s/UP-aYXPxwhI/AAAAAAAABJA/CDIl_u7kw0U/s320/IMG_5634.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Max a'Million - kind of my new favourite subject. &nbsp;Makes me feel guilty about Stella-D. &nbsp;Must make more of an effort to photograph her. &nbsp;Not that she cares if I take more of Max than her, she is just a dog.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-npX29CeTi7k/UP-ac9g_6kI/AAAAAAAABJI/xQ6J6YJut74/s1600/IMG_5639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-npX29CeTi7k/UP-ac9g_6kI/AAAAAAAABJI/xQ6J6YJut74/s320/IMG_5639.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Here he is again, posing on the hillside before he got onto the scent of a Pukeko, and ignoring my calls to 'COME MAX'.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RhiEsKGAUZk/UP-af31i_SI/AAAAAAAABJQ/aNPOrd8PC2U/s1600/IMG_5641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RhiEsKGAUZk/UP-af31i_SI/AAAAAAAABJQ/aNPOrd8PC2U/s320/IMG_5641.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Lunch! &nbsp;Bacon, mushroom and cheese omelet. &nbsp;Twas good, real good!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X6gGqwE7SkM/UP-aiMD3gZI/AAAAAAAABJY/0b9n0VaIXFk/s1600/IMG_5673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X6gGqwE7SkM/UP-aiMD3gZI/AAAAAAAABJY/0b9n0VaIXFk/s320/IMG_5673.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sun setting behind the oil rig that is just up the road from us, ie I essentially took this shot from the end of our driveway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hV1vQugB-VI/UP-eEubsmwI/AAAAAAAABJ4/iqt5LS_2h6I/s1600/IMG_5668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hV1vQugB-VI/UP-eEubsmwI/AAAAAAAABJ4/iqt5LS_2h6I/s320/IMG_5668.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Moon rising, over clouds lit by setting sun.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am actually beginning to get back into my photography again. &nbsp;Fan-flippin-tastic!</div><br /><br />Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18475692.post-25354290235456529662013-01-20T22:29:00.001-08:002013-01-20T22:29:40.522-08:00Milkings sorted<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's taken a LONG time, but TJL finally said that he would like to do the morning milkings, and I am to do the majority of the afternoon milkings. &nbsp;I am so glad that he has FINALLY made a decision, as I HATE, HATE, HATE not knowing what is happening with my day, ie: in the 'old days' TJL would let me know at 1pm that he wanted me to milk at 3pm. &nbsp;I don't do well on short notice, so very rarely milked.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This new routine is great at 5.00am when I am merrily sound asleep, and continue to be that way for another hour or two. &nbsp;This new routine is not so great when I am in the shed at 3pm and it is STINKING hot and I'm sweating my ass off. &nbsp;Of course sweating my ass off is a good thing as my ass (and a lot of other parts of me) needs to disappear somewhat.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last night I did a bit of a internet search in regards to training Max a'Million, and one thing really clicked with me, and that is he needs to burn off some energy before being put on a leash, or getting a bit of training. &nbsp;Fortunately, at the moment, the paddocks behind the house are empty of stock, so I walked the dogs there before we got anywhere near the cows. &nbsp;It seemed to work a bit, but I need to exercise him a bit longer.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OTIsvfGagfc/UPzcHh1RmRI/AAAAAAAABIA/gbBt9slrjyw/s1600/IMG_5571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OTIsvfGagfc/UPzcHh1RmRI/AAAAAAAABIA/gbBt9slrjyw/s320/IMG_5571.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Max a'Million enjoying a bit of speed work</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rwKGijh8_dU/UPzcMaYPSPI/AAAAAAAABII/XiH6_yUnyZk/s1600/IMG_5584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rwKGijh8_dU/UPzcMaYPSPI/AAAAAAAABII/XiH6_yUnyZk/s320/IMG_5584.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maple, one of our most gorgeous cows. &nbsp;TJL calls her Mabel, and she can be a right numpty PITA, as all things beautiful can be.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-016NrsHXDbE/UPzcMgxyr3I/AAAAAAAABIM/J-f6-hlUBo8/s1600/IMG_5576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-016NrsHXDbE/UPzcMgxyr3I/AAAAAAAABIM/J-f6-hlUBo8/s320/IMG_5576.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Periwinkle, out of Destiny. &nbsp;Possum, out of Monkey. &nbsp;Gemma, named after a niece</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wl8E4Q8jOu8/UPzcQKhh7PI/AAAAAAAABIY/_IPE-iUIkgc/s1600/IMG_5595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wl8E4Q8jOu8/UPzcQKhh7PI/AAAAAAAABIY/_IPE-iUIkgc/s320/IMG_5595.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stella-D hunting the hills for dem pesky rabbits</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50KZloIThM8/UPzcSnm9E4I/AAAAAAAABIg/Kej0YqdcVFw/s1600/IMG_5605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-50KZloIThM8/UPzcSnm9E4I/AAAAAAAABIg/Kej0YqdcVFw/s320/IMG_5605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is our oldest chicken Red. &nbsp;Red is about 12 years old, or possibly more, and at the moment I think she is only 1 of 2 out of 5 chickens laying us an egg every other day. &nbsp;GO &nbsp;RED!! &nbsp;Our chickens are let out of their coop between the hours of about 6.30am to 7.30pm, so the other chickens may be laying elsewhere that I have not discovered yet.</div><br />Michahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02585008845765873770noreply@blogger.com0